


Marinette doesn't deserve Luka

by refiningdemise



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/M, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Miraculous Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Love Confessions, Messy, Original Character(s), Relationship(s), Unrequited Love, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/refiningdemise/pseuds/refiningdemise
Summary: This piece explores the feelings Marinette has for Luka while an old flame of his comes back into the picture. What will happen when these two girls meet for the first time?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 11
Collections: Miraculous Ladybug





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Ex Girlfriend 

Alya gasped as she looked up from her phone,

“Omg girl did you know that Luka was dating Vivaldi not too long ago?”

Marinette looked up puzzled as Alya seemed worked up from this news,

“Should I know who that is?” Marinette squeaked out as Alya sat down next to her to show her the girls face pulled up on her phone.

“Yes you should she’s basically famous but most importantly she use to go our school. She’s on tour a lot now, she’s part of a ballet troupe. They say she’s moving back here though for a while. Huh I wonder why.” Alya stopped talking as she scrolled through the latest new feeds looking up more info on the girl.

“Why are you telling me this? You know I’m in love with Adrien. Why would I care about who Luka use to date?” Marinette couldn’t help but be puzzled by this sudden subject change. One minute they were just hanging out in her room working on homework together and now they were discussing this random girl. Her best friend was eyeing her suspiciously yet with a slight bit of worry in her eyes.

“Well I just figured you might want to know since Adrien seems to be going out with Kagami now. I figured you might want to give Luka a chance now seeing as how Adrien is clearly unavailable. Telling Adrien you love him now would just hurt Kagami even if he didn’t love you back. Isn’t your friendship with her a bit more important than some guy? I know Adrien is special but now its not just your own feelings you have to consider here.” Alya stopped giving Marinette time to take in this new information.

“Okay but even with all that being true why are we talking about Luka?” Marinette said after a long pause. Which Alya gave her a sheepish grin,

“Well it might be good to know what you’re up against. If she is moving back here they might get back together. I still think you should go after Luka, he’s a pretty cool guy plus everyone can tell he has a thing for you. Didn’t he just write a tune for you? “This last sentence brought about a deep blush over Marinette’s cheeks. Nodding she looked over at her phone seeing that it was getting late. Her friend had given her way too much to think about. Sighing she started putting her school things away.

“I guess you might be right, but I wasn’t thinking of doing anything so soon. He’s so nice but I just don’t know. He’s not Adrien, you know?” This response brought a swift nod from her friend who was also getting her things together.

“It’s just something to consider girl, I hate seeing you so miserable. Especially lately since you have to see Kagami and Adrien all the time. Well see you tomorrow in class girl.” Alya said this last part as she was getting up moving to the exit of Marinette’s room. Hoping to cushion the blow as it was something she didn’t need to respond to she waved as she left the room.

What a weird day, it had started out with Luka texting her that he wanted to talk about something which gave her the worst butterflies. Seeing new pictures of the new couple Kagami and her Adrien. Wait, she supposed he was Kagami’s Adrien now. They had been dating for a few weeks now. During which she had been seeing Luka. It wasn’t serious or anything they had been on a few dates. Walking around and talking or going to cafés to get a snack. Her feelings were jumbled these days. It was hard to know how she really felt about Luka since she wasn’t over Adrien. Yet she knew her feelings for Adrien would never be resolved until she told him how she felt. That wasn’t exactly an option now was it? Her new friendship with Kagami was more important. What about what Alya was saying.

Grabbing her phone she looked up Vivaldi Marina and the image of a gorgeous girl popped up on the phone screen. She had pretty brown ringlets that dipped down to her waist. It was hard to imagine that she was close to their age, Alya had been right. The latest news was all about her moving back to Paris after her American tour. She had been gone a few months. Marinette wondered if Luka and her had broken up right before then or even long then that. Marinette tried taking an inventory of her current feelings.

Was she jealous of this girl, she didn’t even know her. Luka knew her though would they get back together. Why would that bother her though, was she starting to really like Luka? What did Luka want to talk about, groaning she threw her phone on the bed and covered her face, sighing into her arms. It was too much to think about tonight. Hopefully tomorrow things would be a bit clearer. After they had their talk. Sitting up suddenly she realized she did know this girl. It was so long ago she had almost forgotten. She would see her with Luka but she only saw them together a few times. Vivaldi would stick to the background Marinette remembered that she always seemed to be studying her. Turning over she plugged her phone in double checked that her alarm for school was set then groaned again as she closed her eyes to sleep.


	2. The New Girl

Waking up the next morning was hard Marinette felt like there were bricks sitting on her chest. Getting up she went through the motions of getting ready. Racing out the door she had a feeling that something big was going to happen today. Seeing Alya as she walked into her home room class brought her spirits up. They waved at each other, when she sat down she took out her books and pens for class. As the Mme. Bustier walked in there was someone behind her with a newly familiar face. As she entered the room everyone seemed to come to attention. Everyone’s eyes were on this new girl, who’s ringlets moved with every step she took. As the teacher motioned for the class to settle down since the new arrival had started lots of private conversations. She put her hands on the shoulders of the new girl.

“This is Vivaldi Marina, I’m sure some of you have seen the new about her moving back and well she will be spending the rest of the year with us.” The new girl waved at all of them as she smiled slightly. Marinette noticed that her smile was half-hearted and when she started walking over to her seat she locked eyes with her for the briefest moment. Alya gave Marinette a very wide smile,

“Do you think she’ll let me interview her for my blog?”

Marinette couldn’t help but chuckle softly,

“Which blog would that be?” 

After this lots of students tired talking to Vivaldi however before she even got to answer Mme. Bustier called the class to attention starting the lesson right away after this brief introduction. During lunch Marinette got to actually talk to Vivaldi since Alya who wasn’t the least bit shy got the girl to sit with them. As she bombarded her with questions which Marinette seemed to notice that Vivaldi wasn’t all that shy herself. It was odd though she could swear that Vivaldi was looking at her a lot of the time. Vivaldi’s voice was deeper than Marinette had expected yet it was honey like in its smoothness.

“Hey Marinette the class bell just rang were you going to sit there all day?”

Alya chuckled as she pulled her out of her reverie she hadn’t noticed the lunch period ending Vivaldi’s eyes had been mesmerizing keeping her there. Vivaldi got up holding Marinette’s gaze. It was only as she turned to go back to class that Marinette was able to process what her friend had just said to her. Getting up she looked at Alya,

“Hey is it just me or is Vivaldi looking at me a lot?” Marinette could still feel the girls eyes on her. It was odd she knew that Alya and Vivaldi were talking all of lunch break but she couldn’t remember anything that they said to each other. 

“What? Well maybe she was but is that a big deal. She’s just curious about you, I think Juleka mentioned that you were going over to their place tonight for band practice.” Marinette blushed as she remembered that they had made plans to meet up, she had totally forgotten till now. 

“Why would she be curious about us meeting up?” Walking back to class together they settled back into their seats.

“Rose was saying she would be perfect to make some choreography in a new music video they wanted to do. I think she just wants an excuse to get to know her more though. I can’t blame her, there’s still so much I want to ask her about. Did you notice how she dodged my questions about why she moved back suddenly, there’s a story there I can just smell it”

Marinette’s attention was brought back to the front of the room as Mme. Bustier came back and started the last lesson of the day. It turned out that they would be working on small group projects with groups of two.

“Marinette I want you partnered up with Vivaldi since she’s new I know your friendly attitude will help her feel welcomed”

This shocked Marinette a bit she really wasn’t that friendly but she nodded quickly as they recorded down what they project would be, it was a simple book report however they had to analyze the books together.

“Oh girl I’m so jealous! You’re going to get some serious one on one talk with her! Make sure you get the scoop for me. We need to know why she came back at the height of her career” Alya winked as she left with Nino they were partnered up together for the book report. As she got up she almost walked right into Vivaldi who held her steady with a surprisingly strong grip on her arm.

“Sorry about that Marinette, I thought you saw me.” Looking up at Vivaldi, Marinette felt her mind go blank suddenly wondering why this girl made her feel so weird. Was she jealous or was she just really confused by her. Vivaldi had this tendency she noticed to close her eyes and smile warmly which she did now.

“Do you have time today to work on that project, I’m kind anxious about getting things done way before they are due.” Vivaldi stared at her with half lidded eyes which Marinette noticed just now were burrowing into her again.

“Ah yes I mean I have to meet up with my friends later, well I guess actually you’re going to be there too so maybe it would be easier if we went there to meet up with everyone together after we finish a bit of the book.” Blurting this out all way too quickly Marinette was surprised when Vivaldi only chuckled nodding along.

“Oh yeah that would probably be easiest. Did you want to come over to my place or is it easier to go to your house? “

Vivaldi seemed to be asking herself as much as she was questioning Marinette herself.

Thinking about all her pictures of Adrien posted up on her wall she blushed, they weren’t that close yet. She couldn’t know about her deep feelings that she had for they fellow classmate. She also had Alya’s voice in the back of her head asking her to get that scoop about Vivaldi.

“Can we go to your place? I haven’t gotten my room ready for company.”

Vivaldi nodded as they started leaving on their way to Vivaldi’s house.


	3. Vivaldi

As they walked together Marinette racked her brain for things to talk about, why was it so hard to make small talk with this girl. A few times Marinette was so distracted trying to think of things to say that Vivaldi had to move her out of the way of several sign posts. 

“My are we clumsy today, its a good thing I’m here as back up.” Vivaldi couldn't help but laugh softly as Marinette surely made a puzzled face at her. Why was it so hard to concentrate around her. Small talk was impossible as far as Marinette was concerned but she felt they weren’t close enough for the kinds of questions that Alya wanted her to ask this girl. They eventually came to a cozy looking house, upon entering she noticed a small cat that got up and ran right away. 

“Silly kitty, hes always been like that don’t mind him. He’s scared of his own shadow.” Vivaldi comforted Marinette as she had been reaching to pet the kitty. Other than the one black kitty cat that went running the house was utterly quiet. 

“Oh do you live here alone?” Marinette looked around as much as she could as they made their way to the living room. There were papers stacked on the counter. Vivaldi started looking through the papers as she nodded

“Yup its just me, I’m a bit older but my studies are a bit behind. I wasn’t the best at balancing my career and school. The life of a ballerina is short lived as it is so my parents insisted I concentrate on that for now. I kept up with my studies as best as I could but thats why I’m at your school and not in Luka’s class. They travel a lot so they probably won’t be by often.” She said this with an air of nonchalance as if this was a subject which she discussed often. Or at least something she thought about a lot. Marinette had noticed that when Vivaldi had said Luka’s name she had flushed a bit. Motioning to the couches in the living room they sat down together pulling out their school things on the pretty coffee table. In fact everything was beautiful in this house just like the girl before her. 

Now that they were sitting down to read a bit Marinette took this time not to read but to look around but then her eyes rested on Vivaldi who looked very relaxed now. She sat with her legs crossed elegantly, the book she was reading in her right hand. Her eyes scanned the pages until suddenly they had slid up and locked eyes with Vivaldi who tilted her head slightly. 

“Are you going to stare at me all day?” she grinned back at Marinette as if telling her she knew how distracting she was being. Panicking, Marinette dropped her book on the table. Looking back at Vivaldi shyly wondering why this day was going like this, what was she doing.

“Why did you and Luka break up?” it was out of her mouth before she had even thought about the question entirely. This was so awkward, she didn’t want to talk about Luka. What if she had just ruined their entire friendship by being too curious. However Vivaldi nodded once as she put her book down marking her place as she did. 

“I had a feeling you were going to ask that. Well Marinette its because of you in a way.” This answer shocked Marinette so much her mouth gaped open for a few minutes,

“How could that have anything to do with me! I didn't even know you then.” Vivaldi looked kind of sad however yet determined. 

“He likes you Marinette, you know that right? I didn’t want to be the one he settled for cause it was easier to stay with me. I wanted him to be happy. However I wasn’t going to stick around while he figured out what he wanted” this was said with a slight shrug as if anyone would have done the same thing. 

“Wait but why are you back then? Alya said you two might get back together” Marinette was getting into the habit of just blurting out her thoughts to this girl. Who seemed to be so calm while she was basically freaking out. Sighing sadly Vivaldi looked away as if trying to keep her emotions composed. 

“I wish the reason I was back was as simple as a silly romance. No actually I’m back because---” She was cut off as a huge boom yet off outside, shaking the building. The two girls steadied themselves as screaming started outside. Marinette gathering her things as quickly as she could practically throwing her things into her school bag. 

“I have to go and check on the bakery, my mom and dad are there all alone.” Without waiting for a reply she got up and launched herself out the door and into the nearest ally way. 

“Tikki Spots on!” 


	4. Hysteria

Running around Ladybug could see all the chaos being caused by whoever was a akumatised but she couldn’t see them anywhere. Pulling out her pocket communicator she tried calling Cat Noir again yet again hearing his voice message, clicking her tongue she put her communicator away quickly jumping onto the highest building she could find surveying the surrounding area. Was Cat Noir already fighting by himself, they needed to work together if they were going to win. Teamwork made the dreamwork after all. Then something else jumped into her mind, Vivaldi hadn’t seemed too upset by the interruption what had she been about to say.

“Hey Milady” The familiar greeting sounded from behind her making her jump slightly which made her shake her head slightly, she needed to keep her head in the game if they were going to figure out what was happening. 

“Have you been able to see this Akuma victim kitty cat?” After saying this she regretted it immediately as Cat Noir beamed at her leaning close to her. Pushing him away playfully he shook his head. 

“Nope, I got here and know just as much as you. Everything seems to be a mess in the city it can’t be just a coincidence” It was then they both noticed a blur it was running through the city basically one end to the next in a blink of an eye. Both superheroes looked at each other and a sinking feeling came between them. How were they going to catch someone they couldn’t even see clearly. 

Moving as one unit they both took off as fast as they could trying to catch up to the newly made villain who now turned his attacks onto them putting small explosives near each of them that went off the next second. This was a very dangerous game, things were moving so fast it was hard to make a plan. If only they could hold him in place some way. It was all they could do to avoid being blown up. Figuring she had nothing to lose she took the next second to make her next best move.

“Lucky Charm!” what came flying down was a whistle, looking around she could see no connecting items, what the heck was she supposed to do with just a whistle. It wasn’t an ordinary whistle however it looked kinda like a dog shape, with a long snout and spots. Naturally she did the only thing she could think of and blow on it. The next sound was a very loud and scary almost screeching sound. 

Everything fell silent for the next few moments then deep laughing could be heard and it grew louder and louder. There was no doubt about it that was hyena laughter which seemed to be coming from everywhere. What had Ladybug summoned, surely nothing good could be coming from this maniacal laughter. Then a tall superhero clad girl who seemed to fall from the sky landed between Cat Noir and Ladybug.

It was obvious from her outfit that she had a hyena miraculous her outfit had soft almost orange spots along it with a black tight fitting outfit the was topped off with a long snouted mask that resembled Anubis in a way. She nodded to Ladybug, 

“You called” the girl's voice was deepened oddly in her large mask. She looked around surveying their surroundings. This was new she had never had someone helping them that she didn’t pick herself. How could she trust this newcomer. 

“Uh wait who are you?” Cat Noir exclaimed the thing on both their minds. The hyena girl looked back at them nodding at them. Her expression was impossible to read due to her mask. 

“I’m Hysteria” She laughed again her mask amplified it uncomfortably. She seemed done with introductions. 

“Let me help you out here. This guy just needs to sit still” Hysteria charged ahead with the other two on her heels they weren’t sure what she was going to try but it seemed like they would need to all work together if this was going to end soon. Half the city was in shambles, buildings falling apart as people ran for cover. 

Emitting a another chorus of laughter which seemed to surprised the speedster that they were chasing Hysteria took advantage of how this caught the man off guard and called out,

“Shadow Fang” After which her shadow seemed to leap out from behind her looking like a huge hyena bearing down on the man who stopped in his tracks right as he took a step to run off. The fangs of her great shadow beast held the villain still. Hysteria seemed to be concentrating fully

“I can’t hold him for longer than a minute, hurry and do your thing Ladybug and Cat Noir.” 

The other two superheroes looked at each other completely baffled however the next second realizing time was of the essence they ascended on the villain. Cat Noir using his power Cataclysm to release the akuma while Ladybug purified the little butterfly that flew out.

The two seasoned heroes looked at this new arrival waiting for an explanation. This new hero nodded her mask bouncing after her head stopped moving. 

“Where did you come from?” Ladybug asked hurriedly as all their miraculouses made the beeping noises that meant they only had a few moments left before they had to transform. 

“There's Miraculouses all over the world however I come when I’m called thats the deal.” She winked at the pair holding her fist out ready to pound it right before they all had to leave. Quickly Ladybug threw the whistle in the air 

“Miraculous Ladybug” this action turned all the crumbled buildings back into their whole forms making everything like it was before the battle. All of them touched their fists together. 

“Pound it” After which the girl did back flips till she was gone into the distance. 

“Well that was new, but she seems like a strong ally. You should get her to join us Well see you next time Milady” Cat Noir voiced this as he ran off in another random direction. Ladybug was running to her own house getting inside right as she turned back. Tiki and Marinette stared at each other with bewildered surprise. 

“Have you seen her before Tiki?” Tiki seemed to be in deep thought 

“Well I know there was a Hyena Miraculous. It's a ring just like the black cat ring. I didn’t know she could be summoned like that however. I’m not sure where she would have gotten that ring though its not suppose to be around anymore. It was hidden away since people always thought of it as a negative symbol. She was a bit scary” 

“Now Tiki we can’t judge a book by its cover, she helped us without even hesitating shes definitely a hero. We were in a tight spot there.” Marinette looked at the time and screamed

“Oh no I’m going to be late, Alya is going to kill me!” 


	5. 100% of a Heart

Luka strummed his guitar with a nervous energy moving through a melody too fast.. Tonight was the night he told Marinette the truth about how he felt. Seeing Vivaldi’s picture in the news hadn’t been too surprising. They had kept in touch which until the last few months had been very sparse. She was always practicing, it was something that took over all her free time. She was beyond dedicated plus her parents put immense pressure on her to be the best. What he didn’t understand was how could they let her come back so soon. Last they had talked about her career; she had tours planned for the next year at least. None of which were in Paris. Yet she was back, he almost couldn’t believe it since he hadn’t seen her yet. 

He could hear footsteps and voices above him as people gathered for band practice on deck. He would have to head up there soon but for now he practiced through the same song a few more times before getting up. As he made his way to the top of his little house boat home he noticed two figures in particular. Marinette who had just gotten there it seemed she flitted about trying to organize the group for practice. Vivaldi seemed to have been there for a while Juleka and Rose had cornered her with questions. He could just overhear the conversation as it died down due to Marinette's interruption trying to get everyone into their places. 

“Oh it's so awesome of you to help us with this new video we're making! This time we can have some dancing. Of course you will be the star since you're the best dancer.” Rose had been saying this as Marinette came up to the small group of girls. The odd thing was Vivaldi had seemed really tense as Rose made her proclamation. Apparently the band had different plans from what was explained to Vivaldi. Who sighed with relief as the girls moved into places on the stage. 

He made his way onto the little stage they had built together on his family's house boat. The water rocked the boat softly as everyone got into places and started tuning their instruments and doing the routine sound checks. Now as things were getting started was when he finally took a moment to look around at the little audience gathered to hear their newest song. Marinette and Alya sat together with an almost conspiratorial air about them. Alya was doing most of the talking but both girls seemed heavily invested in whatever topic they were discussing. 

Now playing music was so second nature to Luka he realized that practice had started a few minutes ago. He seemed to be playing all the right notes though he didn’t really know where they were in the song his fingers moved with muscle memory. Closing his eyes and relaxing as he picked up on the tune they were playing he started to add a bit more heart into the song. It was when he opened his eyes again that he really got to see Vivaldi who was having a conversation with his mother. Whatever questions his mother was bombarding her with she didn’t seem to mind too much. She looked relaxed now, looking up at him; the two locked eyes.

She was the only person who ever gave him butterflies he smiled as they stared at each other. It took him a moment to realize everyone else around him was silent. Tearing his gaze away from Vivadli’s he looked over at the small group. All of them stared at him gaping. He was still playing his guitar but the tune wasn’t any of their band songs. To his surprise he was playing Vivaldi’s favorite song stopping he chuckled softly to break the tension of the moment. Everyone was also laughing now even Vivaldi giggled. It was a sound he hadn’t heard in so long he realized how much he missed this. 

“Sorry guys, let's take it from the top. This time we all have to play the same song” Luka reprimanded himself playfully to show the group how bad he felt. Except he didn’t feel that bad not when Vivaldi smiled like that at him. 

After practice everyone milled about talking in little groups. He was helping clean up with Marinette, except his mind kept drifting off trying to figure out the perfect time to talk to Vivaldi. When as a group everyone seemed to decide to surround her. Asking for tips and her thoughts of the practice. Vivaldi struggled to even hear most of the questions smiling shyly as the girls talked with more and more energy. 

“Luka, hey you wanted to talk right?” This small voice shyly sounded right next to him bringing him back to his current moment. Marinette stood next to him with a curious expression on her face. 

“Oh yeah! Right it's really more of a private matter. Lets go to my room okay?” He got up slowly letting Marinette take the lead as he followed her below deck. He caught the confused expression on Vivaldi’s face as he headed to his room. Wincing internally he would have time to explain to her later. This talk had to happen. Marinette sat on his bed wringing her hands trying to give her restless energy an outlet. He sat down next to her. Scratching the back of his head nervously he looked over to her, 

“Listen Marinette, I know we have been kinda seeing each other but I think we should clear things up. You know-” Luka had started this long speech he had been rehearsing in his mind for days now but was interrupted by Marinette who seemed unable to keep her thoughts quiet anymore.

“Oh Luka there's nothing to clear up! We both know how things are going to go from here.” She said this so matter of fact that he almost believed that she knew what he had been about to say but she leaned close to him starting to close her eyes. There was a time when he would have loved this moment but now a deep dread clung to his heart, This would be the worst time for someone to walk in. As if on cue Vivaldi walked in. Her eyes widened at the site before her, she looked both genuinely confused and very hurt. 

Turning on her heel Vivaldi started heading in the other direction again but Luka shot up grabbing her wrist as she was turning. Stopping Vivaldi she rounded on him, now she was just angry, her eyes blazed with an inner fire that was so familiar it almost made him smile. He resisted this reaction though knowing this was not the right moment. Marinette looked at the two surprise blooming on her face. Realization hit her, Luka knew that Marinette understood she had read the situation wrong. This was all his fault, he should have had this conversation sooner and probably not in his bedroom. 

“Let me go, Luka” She tried to tug her wrist free but he let it pull him to her, not letting go. She stepped back, clearly caught off guard. They were so close now he could easily kiss her again he had to resist that sudden urge. Searching her eyes he tried to find the right words. However Marinette spoke up,

“Wait, Vivaldi listen to Luka. I interrupted him. I should have let him finish what he was going to say. He wasn’t the one going for that kiss, it was me who thought that was what he meant. I’m such an idiot I just assumed” Luka knew Marinette meant well but this wasn’t exactly going to be reassuring for Vivaldi but as he looked back at her she seemed to have softened slightly looking up at Luka. 

“Luka what's going on?” Vivaldi was going to give him a chance. Looking at both girls he took a breath. Now he just had to adjust that speech he had made for Marinette. Shaking his head slowly he would just have to speak from the heart. 

“Vivaldi you were right. Nobody deserves to be the second choice. I understand now the pain you felt. The way I treated your feelings was unfair. Marinette was never going to choose me. However that's not why I’m breaking things off with her. I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Vivaldi I know we aren’t okay yet and probably won’t be for a while but I don’t feel that way for Marinette. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realize where my heart really lay. For me you will always be the only choice, Vivaldi.” 

The silence after his small speech was deafening. Marinette seemed flustered but somehow not upset. Things had been fizzling out for a while now between them so this probably wasn’t a surprise. She had probably only been leaning in for a kiss out of desperation. It had taken Luka awhile but he noticed that Marinette seemed to use him taking advantage of his fond feelings for her yet never wanting to really commit. Vivaldi hadn't wanted to be around while he figured things out. He had a distinct flashback of their last conversation which had been a fight. The one where Vivaldi had broken up with him. 

Vivaldi was looking up at him and her arms were wrapped around herself. She seemed to be mulling things over. Vivaldi was struggling not to cry, she clearly wanted to leave but she hadn’t made up her mind yet what she wanted to do.. He just wanted the smallest chance to make everything up to her. He wanted to give her the 100% that she had always deserved. Moving towards her again she didn’t recoil so he took the chance to cup her face with his hand wiping away a little tear that had escaped her control. 

“Please talk to me” Luka begged Vivaldi. This comment seemed to snap her out of her indecision; she shook her head and moved away again. 

“Not yet Luka, I’m not ready for all of this. There's a lot going on right now with me. I can’t give you 100% of my heart yet until I figure some things out for myself. My life is literally falling apart right now” She said this shyly at first but then her voice grew stronger as if the conviction she felt was all that was keeping her from becoming a weeping mess. She had grabbed his hand and kissed it softly as she left his room again. 

Well that could have gone better but he hadn’t expected them to get right back together. There was still trust to build again. He would just have to be there for Vivaldi when she was ready to talk to him about what was going on. Looking over at Marinette he sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry that's the way you had to find out. This is all my fault. I should have been clearer. I never meant to hurt you in anyway” 

His apology was met with a small nod as Marinette moved to the exit of his room. 

“That was really romantic Luka. You’re right too, nobody deserves less than 100% of someone's attention. I’m sorry if my indecisions ever played with your feelings. I think I might have messed things up for you and Vivaldi.” 

Luka shook his head. 

“No if anyone messed things up that's on me. I’m not giving up though she's worth fighting for however for now I think she needs some space. She seems to have something weighing heavily on her.” His brow furrowed in deep concern. Marinette nodded a few times before she also ran off. There was nothing left to say for now.


	6. Distractions

Marinette had left Luka’s place with a smile, it was very much a facade however so much had just happened she wasn’t sure she knew exactly how to process everything. She hadn’t wanted to make things anymore awkward than they already were, what had happened she wasn’t expecting at all. Yet she knew she should have been. Things had changed lately, Luka was trying to distance himself. More and more as the days went by until today she had been able to fool herself into thinking things were just in a lull for now. She had planned on talking to him about it but the time never seemed right. 

Why had she tried to kiss him? Was she that desperate? As she walked into her own home she was thankful her parents had already gone to sleep. She did not feel like talking to them right now putting up another false front. Getting upstairs she groaned as she put her things down and slid into a sitting position on her bed. Running her hands down her face she breathed deeply a few times, her hands flopped down on her stomach. Staring at the ceiling she didn’t know what to do next. Surely there was something he could do to fix everything. If only her regular life was as easy as fighting crime. 

This thought made her laugh since it was not the first time she had thought this. Everytime her and Cat Noir fought crime it was so simple, they were a real team working together to purge Paris of Hawk Moths victims. Getting up now she figured maybe a late night patrol would do her some good, clear her head a bit. 

It was when she sat up and saw his pictures that made her pause. Adrien’s perfect face looked back at her from a mural of photos she had put up on her wall. Blinking at the pictures she realized how much she had been fooling herself before, she had been seeing Luka for weeks now and things had been great at the beginning. Yet she had never once seriously considered taking these down. Luka had to have seen these, must have taken note of their lingering presence. He had been here a few times just a few days ago in fact. She sighed getting up now more determined to get out there. 

Tiki had been hovering around her looking concerned since she had been present for the whole ordeal earlier. Looking at Tiki now she weakly smiled,

“Hopefully I can help someone tonight, that would make me feel better. Come on Tiki spots on” Her little friend had nodded encouragingly before being absorbed into the earrings that flashed and the rest of Ladybugs outfit glowed propelling itself onto her form. Getting up to the roof of her house she gazed around the city. It was a peaceful night. Paris as always glittered in only the way her precious city could, it was so beautiful in fact it almost made her feel better. Almost.

Using her magic yoyo as a lasso she swung from rooftop to rooftop figuring she would check things out in a few popular areas until she felt tired enough to sleep. For once the city slept peacefully, a very rare night indeed. Sighing she ended up on the roof she had started at she cradled her head in the palm of her hands looking out at the city balancing them on the railing that surrounded their top balcony. Sighing more and more until she even got tired of hearing herself.

There was a moment when she felt she was being watched which was followed by Cat Noir landing softly next to her. His emerald eyes looked at her curiously till it turned to concern as she didn’t change positions. 

“Hey bugaboo, what's going on? You look kinda like what the cat dragged in.” Ladybug sighed heavily, her hands covering her face again as she tried to gather her thoughts. 

“Hey kitty am I like the worst person ever?” She was so unsure of herself she felt like something must be wrong with her. What kind of a person did the things she did? Cat Noir came close to her side and she could feel the warmth radiating off him. 

“What? No why would you say that? What happened?” His voice had a slight edge to it at the end like he was going to somehow protect her from whatever was going on. He was always trying to help her no matter what. Even with the way she dismissed his feelings for her. Did she just attract these kinds of situations? No Luka and Cat Noir were compassionate people. It must be her.

“I tried to kiss this guy I had been seeing but you know we were at the end tail of our relationship. Which I knew, I just didn’t want it to end I think. My timing couldn’t have been worse though. I might have destroyed his chance with this really sweet girl. A girl he really likes.” Cat Noir shuffled nervously next to her. She had probably made him uncomfortable talking about the guy in her personal life. Typically she tried to keep things separate. Tonight was just too much though, she wanted to talk to someone. Maybe she even wanted someone who would be a bit harsh with her. Cat Noir had been silent for a while looking over at him she saw him cupping his chin in deep thought.

“That sounds complicated but I mean I doubt you were trying to deliberately sabotage his chances with this girl. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Our emotions aren’t always so simple or pretty. We act out hurting people without meaning to, I think as long as you feel genuinely bad and try to own up to it that all that matters.” After saying this he gave a short nod, as if satisfied with his own advice. Looking up at her for her approval. Oh he was actually kind of adorable when he did things like that. Plus he was so sweet. 

“Maybe, I just feel like a mess” She leaned back a bit bracing herself against the railing in front of her. 

“Well maybe I like cleaning up messes?” He leaned forward as he looked into her eyes.

“Wait was this guy the guy you love?” He leaned his head to the side as he questioned her. There was something sparking in them. Which for once she didn’t mind.

“No, it was someone else. Just someone I had been seeing for a little while. The guy I’m in love with is dating someone else. A friend of mine...” She shook her head as she said this, looking away from him. She was embarrassed by how she had tried to bury her feelings. How she kept liking someone who had someone else already. She was always coming up short. It was just such a blow to her self esteem time after time. 

Since she wasn’t looking at Cat Noir she only heard him move closer to her. He turned her to face him again with gentle touches as her looked into her eyes. His eyes glittered with new found possibilities. 

“Does this mean things could change between us? I mean if you're not attached to anyone and well you know how I feel about you. How I’ve always felt about you.” He rested his forehead against hers. She could smell his warm musky scent. He was so close she could feel his eyelashes flicker against her hair as he blinked. Looking up at him she was struck how easy it was to talk to him while she hid behind a mask. Maybe that was why he was always able to express how he felt about her when she struggled so much in her civilian life. Things seemed so surreal while they fought crime together and maybe things could be different. Especially now that she had the miraculous box to look after. She was bound to find out his true identity with her new responsibility. Her mind was going a mile a minute as Cat Noir gazed at her lovingly. 

“What if we can’t balance our---” She started but he held his finger up to her lips. The material from his suit felt so soft against her lips. 

“Do we really need to worry about all that right this minute? Can’t we just have this moment. Don’t we deserve just a little time to enjoy being together. Truly together.” Ladybug was so enthralled by what he was saying, and maybe he was right after all. Life was already so complicated couldn’t they just have a few moments. Cat Noir was the one to lean in for the kiss first, he kissed her softly and as she kissed him back she felt a soft warm light filling her heart. What hadn’t they been doing this the whole time it made so much sense. 

Of course things are never that simple. Something came flying at them hitting the building at high speed making a dent in it as something landed on the floor of her balcony it looked like a crumpled body. The realization that it was Hysteria was horrifying, she looked pretty battered as if she had been fighting for a while yet. Ladybug and Cat Noir had to separate quickly to avoid getting barreled over by her body. Ladybug ran over to her to see how she looked, it didn’t look good. This was the first time she had really gotten to see her up close and personal. 

“Milady her ring” Cat Noir whispered this as he held up Hysteria’s hand. Right before their eyes the ring was turning to dust. There was nothing left, the two heroes watched as her suit flickered on and off. What was left was an unconscious girl, Ladybugs eyes grew wide as she recognized this girl. It was Vivaldi, she had pain written all over her face. Turning Ladybug saw the villain who had been fighting Hysteria. No wonder they hadn’t heard a single sound the villain was a mime. 

Cat Noir and Ladybug jumped into action it was probably only because they had caught him by surprise coming at him from both fronts. She had called forth her Lucky Charm as Cat Noir powered up his Cataclysm. Destroying the beret on the mimes head, she purified the little butterfly. Throwing up her Lucky Charm she felt she could breath now since Vivaldi would be alright. Cat Noir was looking up at Ladybug deep worry lines creased what she could see of his face. 

Vivaldi was not okay, her ring had not been repaired by the Lucky Charm. The dent she had left in their wall was repaired. Everything else seemed to have gone back to normal. Yet Vivaldi remained still, breathing so slowly it was almost impossible to tell she was alive at all. 


	7. Impossible!

The rest of the night was something else, Ladybug had never taken someone to the hospital before, as Cat Noir carried Vivald’s body on his back. Together they delivered her into the arms of a specialist who took her into the depth of the hospital right away. 

The two heroes looked at each other unsure of what to make of the situation. However as they left they were walking slowly away their miraculous beeped indicating that they would both transform back soon. The two looked at each other wondering if it mattered anymore. Yet Ladybug seemed still resolved to keep their identities a secret from each other at least for now. As nice as it would have been to figure out what was happening together this was something Ladybug had to do on her own. 

She got home just in time to transform back into her civilian clothes. As Tiki came out of her earrings the two looked at each other with mutual shock. What had just happened tonight.

“Have you ever known a miraculous to get destroyed before?” Marinette questioned the small little kwami. Tiki her little friend shook her head very rapidly. 

“No! I’ve never seen that happen before! I knew they could get damaged before but to break apart completely before. It's just unheard of! The only thing I could think of is that she's been using it while it's damaged. Regular humans aren’t meant to endure the pain that comes with using a broken miraculous. I guess it's possible she used it till it actually broke by itself. Omg where is Hecate?!” The little kwami was talking very rapidly as she flew around the room trying to think then she seemed to wiz around back right in front of Marinette's face. She then flew into the miraculous box a few moments later she came right back out looking even more worried. 

“Wait Tiki okay so basically the impossible just happened. Is Vivaldi going to be okay though? Who’s Hecate?” Marinette was now cupping the little kwami in her hands. Trying to comfort the worried little being. 

“Honestly she probably shouldn’t be alive now. Hecate was the hyena kwami living in that miraculous. I’ve known her forever. She's typically scarce when it comes to showing up but she should have been around after the ring was destroyed.” Tiki sat down hopelessly when she finished her sentence. Shaking her head 

“Oh Marinette she can’t be gone! Us kwami’s aren’t supposed to be able to die!”

The little being seemed close to losing it. Marinette petted her gently as she set her down on the bed. She herself started getting ready for bed. Luckily it was a weekend so she could sleep in a little bit the next day. It was so late as it is. 

“Well Tiki if we can find her we will. Let's try to get some sleep tonight. I’m sure she's not gone, however we don’t know what could have happened. However I’m going to be here for you Tiki no matter what! I promise Tiki!” Marinette’s words seemed to calm her friend enough so they could both get some sleep. Since there was no way Marinette was going to sleep knowing her friend was upset. They were going to need all the energy they could muster to figure this all out. 

The next morning Vivaldi being in the hospital was headline news. It was everywhere. Her parents were concerned too since she had been a student at Marinette's own school. Plus the group chat with Marinette and all her friends was blowing up. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Marinette knew the truth or well at least she had seen what happened. Actually now that she thought about it she probably knew about the same amount as everyone else. She typed in a little message about how she was also worried about the girl. Since this was very true. It was all she could think about. Was it her fault this had happened? Her and Cat Noir had been so distracted by their own personal issues that they hadn’t even noticed the fight happening until it was too late. Would this have happened if they had just kept things separate like they had always done before. Or at least like she had always insisted they do. 

She supposed there was no need obsessing over what if or whys now. What was done was done. Now she just had to try her best to put Tiki’s mind at ease. Oh! She needed to also check on Luka and of course Vivaldi. Both of them would need any support she was able to give. 

As she got dressed Tiki gave a small little yawn looking around puzzled. 

“I had the weirdest dream. I dreamed that a miraculous had broken completely and Hecate was missing. Plus that poor girl was in the hospital. Your new friend, Vivaldi.” Tiki was rubbing her eyes now. It made Marinette feel really bad that she had to inform her little friend that it had not been a dream. 

“Oh Tiki I’m so sorry but that wasn’t just a dream.” Marinette smiled at her friend. Tiki flew into the air looking panicked as she tired to figure out what to do next. Where to go. 

“I don’t even know where to start Marinette.” Tiki exclaimed exhausted. They hadn’t even started looking yet but Marinette could definitely understand how Tiki was feeling.

“I’ve been giving that some thought. I figured we could go see Vivaldi first. Hopefully Hecate just decided to stay with her. Also I really need to know if Vivaldi is going to be okay or not. She wasn’t looking too good last night when we left her at the hospital” Marinette held her purse open for Tiki to fly into when her friend was securely in her bag the duo set off to go find out the truth about a few things. 


End file.
